Introduction
1.1
On 15 June 2017, the Senate referred the matter of the operations of
existing and proposed toll roads in Australia to the Senate Economics
References Committee for inquiry and report by 10 August 2017.
1.2
The terms of reference for the inquiry were:
Operations of existing and proposed toll roads in Australia,
including:
- financial
arrangements of existing and proposed private toll roads, and transparency,
accountability and equity aspects of these arrangements;
- interaction
of commercial considerations of private toll road operators with federal and
state transport and infrastructure policy; and
- any other related matters.[1]
1.3
On 9 August 2017 the Senate agreed to an extension of the reporting date
to 12 September 2017.[2]
On 12 September it agreed to a further extension to 14 September 2017.[3]
Conduct of the inquiry
1.4
In accordance with its usual processes, the committee advertised the
inquiry on its website, and wrote to relevant organisations to invite submissions.
Thirty-seven submissions, including one confidential submission, were received.
A list of submissions to the inquiry is at Appendix 1.
1.5
The committee conducted public hearings in Melbourne on 3 August 2017
and in Canberra on 17 August 2017. The names of witnesses who appeared at the
hearings are at Appendix 2.
Structure of this report
1.6
This report comprises 6 chapters, including this introductory chapter:
-
Chapter 2 presents background information on toll roads in
Australia and in other countries.
-
Chapter 3 examines the financial arrangements for existing toll
roads and projects that are under development, and how those arrangements are
arrived at.
-
Chapter 4 focuses on equity aspects of toll arrangements,
including
-
regional equity considerations for those areas serviced by toll
roads, and
-
systems of enforcing toll payments and related administration
charges.
-
Chapter 5 examines the interaction of commercial considerations
of the operations of private toll roads with federal and state transport and
infrastructure policy.
-
Chapter 6 summarises the committee's views and makes
recommendations.
Navigation: Previous Page | Contents | Next Page